July 16, 2014

Cartoon: Cameron's Reshuffle

'Be honest, David. Have you reshuffled old Mrs Scroggins?'

BACKGROUNDDavid Cameron has completed his biggest reshuffle in office, demoting the trouble-making Michael Gove to chief whip, installing the EuroscepticPhilip Hammond as foreign secretary and promoting two more women to the cabinet. The prime minister has cleared out a dozen middle-aged and older men from his ministerial ranks in order to create a more female and less privileged top team. The strategy behind the shake-up is being attributed to Lynton Crosby, Cameron's election adviser, as the party seeks to make itself look more representative of society before the election. Read more >>

THE CARTOONThe cartoon by Mac from the Daily Mail shows UK Prime Minister David Cameron in his office at Number 10 Downing Street. A very attractive cleaner in a very short skirt is standing on a stepladder dusting the furniture. Cameron's wife Samantha asks him, "Be honest, David. Have you reshuffled old Mrs Scroggins?".

EXPLANATION'Old Mrs Scroggins' is the previous cleaner who has been 'reshuffled' in order to make way for a young, sexy one. 'Scroggins' is an ugly name, and we are meant to assume that Mrs Scroggins was ugly too.

LANGUAGENormally, you wouldn't 'reshuffle' a cleaner, you would just replace her. But the joke depends on this use of the word here.

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Cartoon: Cameron's Reshuffle

'Be honest, David. Have you reshuffled old Mrs Scroggins?'

BACKGROUNDDavid Cameron has completed his biggest reshuffle in office, demoting the trouble-making Michael Gove to chief whip, installing the EuroscepticPhilip Hammond as foreign secretary and promoting two more women to the cabinet. The prime minister has cleared out a dozen middle-aged and older men from his ministerial ranks in order to create a more female and less privileged top team. The strategy behind the shake-up is being attributed to Lynton Crosby, Cameron's election adviser, as the party seeks to make itself look more representative of society before the election. Read more >>

THE CARTOONThe cartoon by Mac from the Daily Mail shows UK Prime Minister David Cameron in his office at Number 10 Downing Street. A very attractive cleaner in a very short skirt is standing on a stepladder dusting the furniture. Cameron's wife Samantha asks him, "Be honest, David. Have you reshuffled old Mrs Scroggins?".

EXPLANATION'Old Mrs Scroggins' is the previous cleaner who has been 'reshuffled' in order to make way for a young, sexy one. 'Scroggins' is an ugly name, and we are meant to assume that Mrs Scroggins was ugly too.

LANGUAGENormally, you wouldn't 'reshuffle' a cleaner, you would just replace her. But the joke depends on this use of the word here.